What Causes Varicose Veins

Are your varicose veins causing pain and discomfort or making you feel unhappy with your appearance? Treatments offered by your cardiologist in Sugar Land, TX, Dr. Naim Al-Adli of Fort Bend Heart Center, can help you manage your symptoms.

Why you have varicose veins

Although anyone can develop varicose veins, the condition occurs more often in women. Being obese or having several pregnancies may increase your varicose vein risk.

Other factors can also make it more likely that you'll develop varicose veins, such as a family history of the condition, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause, blood clots, smoking or being inactive. Your risk of developing varicose veins gradually increases as you get older.

Varicose veins are caused by a blood flow problem in the veins in your legs. Normally, small valves in the veins open and close to keep blood flowing in one direction. If the valves weaken, become damaged or stop closing completely, blood begins to pool in the veins. When this happens, your veins get noticeably bigger.

In addition to an increase in the size of your veins, other varicose vein symptoms include:

• Aching or itchiness in your legs
• Fullness or a heavy feeling in your legs
• Leg, foot or ankle swelling
• Cramps in your legs
• Skin color changes
• Skin ulcers
• Dry or thickened skin
• Restless leg syndrome

How varicose veins are treated

Your Sugar Land, TX, heart doctor may recommend one or more of these treatments and strategies for managing your varicose veins, such as:

• Wearing compression stockings to reduce swelling and aching
• Decreasing pressure and swelling by resting with your legs above the level of your head several times a day.
• Trying sclerotherapy, an injection that irritates the lining of the vein, causing it to collapse
• Undergoing ablation therapy, a treatment that uses laser or radiofrequency energy to heat and close varicose veins
• Having surgery to remove small veins

Once varicose veins are closed or removed, healthier veins take over and carry blood through your veins.

Concerned about your varicose veins? Call (281) 265-8500 to make an appointment with your Sugar Land, TX, cardiologist, Dr. Al-Adli of Fort Bend Heart Center.